Showing a maturity way beyond her age and seemingly immune to pressure, Cheng fought off a two-shot deficit to Lu Ya-Huei (呂雅惠), the 2013 TLPGA year-end no.1 on the official money list, heading into today, and then held off a feisty Babe Liu (劉依貞) that had battled her all day for the title, to become just the first amateur player ever in the Taiwanese golf history to capture three wins.

 

Cheng holds the record as the youngest amateur Tour titlist as well. At 15 years, 8 months, Cheng won her maiden title at the 2013 Chung Cheng Ladies Open, becoming the youngest player to take a Tour victory after then 17-year-old Amy Hung (洪沁慧) conquered the Republic of China Ladies Open (中華民國女子公開賽) in 1997. Three months later, Cheng made another first by taking her second TLPGA win at the Fubon Ladies Open. The first amateur win dates back to 1988 when Tseng Hsiu-Feng (曾秀鳳) won the Kaohsiung Open (高雄公開賽).

 

On the men’s tour, Hong Chia-Yuh (洪家煜) twice lifted the trophy as an amateur at the Chinfon Taiwan Open (慶豐台灣公開賽) in 1994 and 1996. But no amateur player has ever made a hat-trick. Cheng has also become the first player to earn official World Ranking points from a TLPGA Tour event (other than the co-sanctioned with the LPGA).

 

“I think it was easier mentally than the last two times,” said an unflappable Cheng, who was still tied up with Liu after Liu sank a birdie putt on the 12th hole. “I feel I can handle this occasion better than before. I’m proud of the way I performed.” 

 

“Absolutely, I feel confident right now, but I know there are still a lot of room for improvement, especially in the bigger events, before I make a move,” Cheng said of her timing to turn pro. Liu, as the top-finishing pro, finally walked away with the NT$600,000 winner check

 

Second-round leader Lu Ya-Huei took a dip down the final standings to a tie for fourth, after shooting a disappointing 4-over 76 final-round to finish at 216, with her first-round co-leader Huang Hsien-Wen (黃賢雯), who bounced back from a dismal 8-over 80 to today’s low-round 68 that included an eagle, four birdies, and two bogeys.

 

Sitting also in the three-way tie was Thailand’s Kanphanitnan Muangkhumsakul, who went through a topsy-turvy day with four bogeys and two double bogeys before finding her zone just in time to finish with four birdies in the last five holes.

 

Last month’s TLPGA Heritage Tour winner Hsieh Yu-Ling’s (謝瑀玲) final score of 2-under 214 won her the runner-up prize of NT$300,000 and a precious proportion of ranking points. Only the top-5 finishers can enjoy such reward.

 

The first annual Jing-Du Construction Charity Ladies Open is co-organized by Have-Love Social Welfare Foundation and Tseng Yani International. Revenue from ticket sale and leveraging activities will be donated to the Have-Love Social Welfare Foundation and partly as a development fund for the TLPGA.